Calistoga
Calistoga is about 45 minutes’ drive south of Cobb, on winding highway near Mount Saint Helena (elevation 4,341 feet). Steve said that our old BMW Z4 roadster would have loved this road. After all the dizzying curves came a reward: sweeping views of the hillside vineyards at the northern end of Napa Valley.
In downtown Calistoga, we visited the Sharpsteen Museum, a museum created by Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen and his wife Bernice focused on the history of the city and the surrounding area. Here we learned about Samuel Brannan, an enterprising and rather unscrupulous fellow who became a millionaire by selling goods and buying real estate during the California Gold Rush. Brannan bought land with natural hot springs in the upper Napa Valley, envisioning a spa/resort similar to New York’s Saratoga Springs. The story goes that Brannan was drunk when “Saratoga of California” became “Calistoga of Sarafornia” - and thus gave the city its name.
The museum’s showcase exhibit was Sharpsteen’s dream project: an expansive diorama based on a photo of Brannan’s 1860s Hot Springs Resort. Other interesting displays included a restored stagecoach that had transported guests around the valley and a restored resort cottage where the writer Robert Louis Stevenson spent the first part of his honeymoon. Since they could not afford $10 per week to stay in the cottage, Stevenson and his new wife lived at an abandoned mining camp for two months. He immortalized the experience in The Silverado Squatters and used descriptions of Napa Valley in Treasure Island.
I enjoyed seeing mementos from Sharpsteen’s early life, his early career as an animator, and his later career as a director and production supervisor at Walt Disney Studios (Pinocchio, Snow White, Fantasia, and many more). He won two Academy Awards for his own work, one of which was on display. The museum, free to the public, was a lovely gift to the city.
After lunch in downtown Calistoga, we did some wine tasting at nearby Tank Garage Winery. It really was a garage - a beautifully restored 1930s Art Deco service station. Inside, the tasting room was laid back and welcoming. There was a vintage Indian Chief motorcycle (a vehicle often serviced at the original garage) and a speakeasy-style lounge for members. We loved the vibe - retro-cool and unconventional.
Tank is a spin-off of the James Cole Estate Winery. Specializing in experimental wine blends, they’re like a sandbox where creative winemakers can play. The grapes come from all over California, and included lesser-known varieties such as Picpoul, Mourvédre, and Negrette. The wine names were a lot of fun - Peep Show, Pizza Joint, Dirty Looks - with eye-catching and artsy labels to match. Our favorites were Woven, a white Albariño and Picpoul blend named after a beach blanket, and Head over Heels, a red Gamay Noir served chilled. Both were ideal for the heat wave that had just descended on us.
